News
UK - Risk Capital Partners acquires Patisserie Valerie
Risk Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in London's famous upmarket patisserie chain Patisserie Valerie. The acquisition has been made with a view to expanding the business and taking it national. The company has revenues in excess of ТЃ8m....
UK - Sun Capital acquires Pearl Fittings representing partial exit for Endless
Endless has sold its majority stake in Pearl Fittings Ltd to Sun European Partners, the European adviser to Sun Capital Partners. The deal represents a partial exit for Endless, which first invested in the company in March 2006 since when turnover has...
SWEDEN - Accel invests EUR 4m in Swedish software business
Telepo, a Swedish software company, has raised EUR 4m in funding from Accel Partners. The Telepo Business Communication Solution integrates mobile and fixed communication, VoIP and existing enterprise voice infrastructure, using standards based protocols....
FINLAND - CapMan acquires industrial maintenance from Fortum
Funds managed by CapMan have signed an agreement with Fortum to acquire its industrial services business unit, a provider of industrial maintenance services, for an undisclosed sum.
FRANCE - CICLAD takes minority stake in internet tourism portal
CICLAD has taken a minority participation in Come To Paris, an online provider of tailored services to the tourism industry.
UK - Apax launches bid to delist unquote" publisher Incisive Media
Apax Partners has made an offer to acquire global B2B publisher Incisive Media Plc. The deal, which has been recommended by the independent directors of the business, values the London Stock Exchange-listed companyтs shares at ТЃ199m, and offers shareholders...
SWEDEN - Eqvitec invests SEK 44m in Netadmin
Eqvitec Technology Fund III has agreed to invest SEK 44m in Linköping-based software company Netadmin. Netadmin has developed a system that gives network proprietors and broadband operators full supervision and control of all connected equipment, right...
UK - Investec launches new asset-based lending proposition
Investec Private Bankтs growth & acquisition finance business has expanded its proposition with the establishment of a dedicated asset-based lending team to enhance its mid-market capability in growth & acquisition financing. Headed by Gary Edwards, formerly...
GERMANY - Financial investor knocked back on first DAX takeover
The first ever DAX-takeover attempt by a private equity bidder has been prematurely knocked back, according to an article in today's Handelsblatt. According to automotive supplier Continental, which has a market capitalisation of EUR 13bn, a tentative...
SPAIN - Doughty Hanson opens office in Madrid
Doughty Hanson & Co has recently announced the opening of its Madrid office. The launch has also seen the appointments of Francisco Gutiérrez Churtichaga (ex JPMorgan) as head of operations in Spain and Juan Barba Silvela (ex Arthur Andersen) as investment...
SWEDEN - InnovationsKapital invests SEK 25m in Ludesi
Ludesi AB, a global provider of bioinformatics solutions to the life science industry, has secured SEK 25m in funding from InnovationsKapital. Ludesi’s current investors include FöretagsByggarna and AP6.
FINLAND - Lannox receives EUR 400,000 from Finnish Industry Investment
Finnish Industry Investment has provided EUR 400,000 in funding to road construction company Lannox Oy. Founded in 2006, Lannox is based in Helsinki and the new capital will fund business development and marketing.
BELGIUM - Pro Natura acquires Biomarché
Activa Capital-owned Pro Natura, the former number two wholesaler of organic fruit and vegetables in Europe, has acquired Biomarché, the leading organic fruit & vegetable wholesaler in Belgium.
DENMARK - Venture-backed Exiqon enters co-development agreement
Venture-backed Exiqon A/S, a leading supplier of high-value gene expression analysis products, and Luminex® Corporation have signed an agreement to co-develop and commercialise microRNA products. Exiqon will develop and manufacture microRNA products on...
FRANCE - Avenir Tourisme and BNP Paribas Développement invest in hotels
Avenir Tourisme and BNP Paribas Développement have each taken a 10% stake in Chez France Hotels and Résidences, with a total equity investment of EUR 800,000. The sponsors also committed some convertible bonds as part of the transaction.
GERMANY - Nord Holding takes majority in PDS Group
Nord Holding has acquired a 70% stake in PDS Group, Cologne, a systems integrator for mobile data capture systems. Raimund Müller-Rau, general manager of the company, retains the 30% balance.The vendor is MUK Kapitalbeteiligungsgesellschaft, a joint subsidiary...
FINLAND - CapMan sells Tiimari to Leo Longlife
CapMan funds will sell their stake in holding company Maritii Oy, which has 100% ownership of Tiimari, to Oyj Leo Longlife Plc. Prior to the exit, CapMan funds hold around 83% of Maritii, a company with an enterprise value of approximately EUR 61m.
DENMARK - Vækstfonden and SEED Capital sell AudioAsics
Analog Devices Inc has acquired venture-backed technology company AudioAsics A/S for around $19m in cash. It will pay up to $8m more for the Danish business upon the achievement of certain milestones.
SWEDEN - FSN Capital recruits two new Swedish partners
FSN Capital has recruited Peter Möller and Dan Johnson as partners to strengthen its presence in Sweden. Möller joins from Permira, where he has worked as an investment manager, and Johnson has fourteen years of experience from The Boston Consulting Group...
UK - YFM Group appoints new investment manager
YFM Group, manager of the ТЃ25m South West Ventures Fund, has appointed Julian Dennard as investment manager. Dennard will join the SWVF team which make venture capital funding available to small- and medium-sized enterprises with high-growth potential...
UK - Barclays Private Equity takes stake in Jerrold Holdings for £113.5m
Barclays Private Equity has acquired a significant minority stake in Jerrold Holdings Ltd, a secured lender to the residential and commercial sectors, for ТЃ113.5m. The acquisition adds to Barclays Private Equityтs financial services portfolio, (which...
UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital appoints new investment manager
Aberdeen Asset Managers Growth Capital has appointed Jonty Hall as investment manager to its Northern team. Hall will focus on new investments involving smaller UK companies requiring up to ТЃ4m of equity finance, including MBOs/MBIs, expansion capital,...
ITALY - Advent appoints new chairman
Advent International, has announced the appointment of Francesco de Giglio as chairman of its Italian office. De Giglio is focused on mid-market pan-European buyouts and has over 18 years of experience in the Italian market. Prior to joining Advent,...
UK - Penta Capital leads £10m equity funding round in retail chain's 147 UK stores
InternaУЇionale Holdings Ltd, the Glasgow-headquartered retailer which owns 147 Au Naturale and InternaУЇionale stores throughout the UK, has been acquired in a management buyout worth ТЃ45m. InternaУЇionaleтs senior management team of Norrie Stewart,...